Interventional Management of Chronic Pain

Chronic non-cancer pain is a common clinical condition affecting a significant part of the population. This article aims to review the interventional options for non-cancer pain. Multiple searches using Medline were carried out and additional searches were made using reference lists of published papers and book chapters. The article discussed procedures ranging from selective nerve root or zygapophyseal (facet) joint block with local anaesthetics to irreversible neurodestruction with radiofrequency energy or neurolytic agents and neuromodulation with spinal cord stimulation. Other techniques include intraspinal delivery of analgesics. There is evidence that these interventional procedures are valuable both diagnostically and therapeutically. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2009;38:150-5